Heading Out Review

Developer: Serious Sim

Platform: PC

Genre: Adventure, Racing, Strategy

Publisher: Saber Interactive

Heading Out is a narrative driving game. The game was developed by Serious Sim and published by Saber Interactive. The game is not similar to many other games but did have some sense of familiarity with Night Call. This review was done on the PC, but the game will be available on Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox series.

Heading Out is a single-player game where you play as Jackie, who is a popular driver running across America. You are trying to make a name for yourself whilst running away from your past. The game revolves around the player making runs, carrying out tasks, and earning money to stay out of reach of Fear.

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The controls for Heading Out are relatively easy to work with. As the game suggested playing with a controller, we played it with a controller and found that it was a much smoother, more comfortable experience than playing it with the keyboard and mouse. There was not much of a difference; it was just that it felt more immersive and easy with a controller. When starting the game, an in-game tutorial is shown to the player that also goes over the mechanics. Honestly, the controls were nice and easy to get a hang of.

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The art style of Heading Out is simplistic with its sketch-like black-and-white theme. There are additions of slight colour, but the emphasis on black and white is well-suited to this game. For example, I love how red is fear, and it strikes out of the main colour scheme, which is an excellent choice by the developers. The visuals are so simplistic but do a wonderful job of captivating the player into hours of driving. Also, the pop-out imagery of changing gears like something out of a comic book is really intriguing. Not just that, but I like that even with the minimalist visuals, there is a diverse sense of landscape that includes countryside roads and cityscapes. The addition of being able to run into barricades and have off-road tyres adds much detail to the game. There are a lot of details added to the game, like traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, and signs, which are perfect for the driving ambience. Complimentary to the visuals, the soundtrack is really well-designed. You can hear the music playing from the radio, and it has a heavy American/country feel to it, which adds to the driving experience. I also really enjoyed the radio hosts who commented on how you performed through the game, which is very fun.

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The game has several acts to it, and after playing each act, you can unlock more and more cars, which can help you with your missions. I quite liked the opening of the game, where you were asked about a rumour, and you could pick from three options that would revolve around your character. After that selection, it went straight into a graphic novel-looking sequence with captivating voice acting that really sets the scene. The premise of the game is for you to reach a specific state before fear catches up to you. Throughout the journey, you get to drive to different states and deliver parcels to people to earn money. From the money, you can pay for your expenses, such as things like fuel, motels, and repairs for the car. A gameplay mechanic I enjoyed so much was being able to race with other people, which makes the driving even more exhilarating. After all, the game is narrative-driven, which was interesting at first but got even more interesting while playing the game. I found out that the path you took whilst driving was determining the path of the story that would either increase or decrease your reputation. The game is full of thrill where even if you speed, the cops will be on you, and you can be known as a wanted criminal, ‘The Jackalope’. At first, the game may seem like a normal driving simulator with stunning visuals, but you are playing a constant driving game where even crashing your car can cause fear to catch up to you. The game is the epitome of on the run, and it truly is much fun. It is almost a relaxing yet exciting game that you can pick up and play whenever you want. Most driving simulators don’t tend to have an objective, but this game, being a narrative driving game, is perfect for everyone to try. I had so much fun playing it.

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If you want to play a game where you drive across America in your car whilst being chased by fear, then this game is just for you. With minimalist yet stunning visuals and a soundtrack that will get you in the American mood, this game will keep you in a driving loop nonstop. Reach different states before fear catches you, deliver packages, and race others can all be done in this fun narrative driving game. Thus, be sure to check out Heading Out!

Overall: 9/10